To Be Loved
by Cafe.nina
Summary: The first three members of the Blindfold Gang try and move on with a new apartment and just each other. Story speculation. SetoKidoKano. Three-shot. A revolving view of the kids from our favorite trio. Rated T for brief language, filthy floors, and an emotional crisis during dinner.
1. Someone to Kiss

**Hey, Kage fandom! Quick heads up: ****I'm a pretty big KidoKano shipper but I love Seto to pieces so this is going be sort of an ot3-ish piece. Very platonic for all who were worried, but there will be some more romantic happening I suppose.  
****  
Nothing like that you little boogers, s'not very lady like**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Kagerou project or the song "To Be Loved" (Originally sung by Jackie Wilson).**_  
_

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_Someone to care.  
__Someone to share.  
__Those lonely hours,  
and moments of despair.  
"To Be Loved" -Covered by Michael Bublé_

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Squish. Was the sound the mop made against the cheap floors in the new kitchen. Tsubomi can barely hear it over the steady beat of music coming out of the iPod buds in her ears.

_Wait, it's Kido now. Not Tsubomi._ A flicker of white and the lights dim as a clap of thunder groaned loudly in the dimming sky. _Not anymore._ She shoved the mop head down forcefully to drive up a stubborn piece of black who-knew-what off the pale linoleum.

The storm was getting worse, she hoped Kou- Seto wasn't trying to be brave and make it home in this weather. He'd claimed at one point that the flower shop owner was nice, maybe he'd be willing to let an employee spend a night.

Another loud crackle has her fishing for the higher volume. She doubts he'll be allowed to sleep there, it didn't matter how kind you were, you don't let a brand new member of your staff sleep in your store. She wouldn't allow it anyway.

Not that that had anything to do with Seto's character, he was probably the most upright, trustworthy person in their group, even thought that isn't hard to beat since it was between her and Kano these days.

A memory surfaced of a red scarf, a smile untainted by the despair brimming in her eyes, and a pair of arms drawing her close.

The mop's shaft groans under the pressure of her palms and she swiftly sends it into her bucket, sloshing the grey-brown water. She'll have to be done for today she decides as she scoops up the mess and headed for the sink. All of the cleaning she's done is making her body and mind weary, conditions that made it difficult to keep down memories that threatened to send her to the floor; a hurricane of emotions.

And as far as she can tell they're already having an over abundance of storms.

Reminiscing is a luxury none of them can afford anymore. This new apartment was home, messy and disgusting as it was (that could be fixed though), and they have to make it on their own now.

It was a lot to take on after spending a few years with it being taken care of for them. They need money for groceries, housewares, there was rent to pay, bills, plus bus fare so Seto can get to work and none of them have to walk miles and miles to get anywhere.

They had money from home but after a unanimous vote it had been hidden and reserved for emergency cases only. Should it ever run out, it would be the homeless shelter again, but the danger there was the periodic inspections for runaways. They'd been fortunate to sidestep discovery for a while, but the day one of the volunteers had been excessively eyeing Kano was the same day they had to leave.

It hadn't been the wisest decision to tell Kano this, for a straight week afterward he had jibed at any chance possible about why his sweet Tsubomi had even noticed this.

_"Perhaps our Commander was green for another reason." Somewhere out there was a cat tail flicking mischievously as he teased a piece of her hair between  
his thumb and index finger._

He had had that rolled up newspaper to the throat coming.

The floor tainted water swirls down the drain with a gurgle as she wrings out what's left in the mop, giving a hiss when the shoulder she bruised against a cabinet door yesterday reacted angrily to the action. Jealousy was the farthest from what she had been thinking that day. She's seen the missing adds floating around and few as they were it was still a sign that Kenjirou was searching for them. Kenjirou or whatever else.

The bucket and mop go back inside the pantry and she tugs out her earphones, opting to listen to the storm while she finished; retrieving the bottle of bleach from beneath the sink that was in line for a disinfecting.

The cleaner itself was a present from the friendly lady down the hall, the only resident here who had welcomed them. She had acted perky at the new renters arrival, motherly instinct coming into play when she questioned them about where their parents were.

Kano would have to come up with a better excuse than they worked a lot, this woman struck her as the overly curious type. Yet when she had gone over and asked to borrow cleaning supplies, still mad that Kano had lost her list and then forgotten almost everything on it, the woman, Kyoko, had complied without question telling her to just go ahead and keep it.

She put the bottle back under the sink cabinet, which she'd finish scrubbing out today too, unhappily noting it was getting lighter with every use. She'll have to buy more up soon. Living here for barely three weeks and she's just now getting around to cleaning it up. She would have preferred if it had been done sooner but jobs and job hunting had taken up a lot of all their time.

A smaller apartment would have been better, this one had more rooms than they had furniture and the nearest bus stop was at least seven blocks away. But the landlord hadn't turned them over to the police and even leased it to them below the list price. She wonders if it was out of pity.

Even with rent being more manageable, Seto still works as often as he can, where as she and Kano take what they can find, whenever they can find it. From something as straight forward as dog walking to a restaurant that needed extra servers for the holidays.

That restaurant was one of the few times she had worked _with_ Kano, it had been more calming than she would have thought to have a familiar face there. That night when they had walked home comparing tips was one of the more peaceful times they'd spent together. He had gloated about making over a hundred  
and fifty dollars from those in the holiday spirit. She'd whacked his shoulder harder than usual because she had gotten forty-five bucks and some sleazes phone number.

This week had been a good week for cleaning though, she's had a tougher time on the job front then the boys had. To her credit Seto had had his job for a  
while and Kano could charm the birds from the trees. _When_ he wanted to.

She wanders out of the kitchen and, after several seconds debating with herself on the chances of being seen and possibly mocked, plunges face first into the backrest of the sole piece of furniture in their living room. A fluffy green armchair she had found on a front porch of a house down the block with a _'free!'_ sign taped onto it.

It was missing fabric in spots but the stains were minimal so she had carried it back to the new flat. It wasn't as if they could go back to the Tateyama's and bring what they needed. Thankfully their bed situation had been taken care of since the beginning; the last tenant had left a queen-sized behind so they had somewhere to sleep. It had been a good grab even if for a while the chair had stunk up the entire room, it was better than the floor.

The small smile she wears goes unnoticed by everything save for the nubby upholstery. She kept thinking about the unspoken challenge they had that at the end of the day about who could get the chair for the evening. She was the current champion and had been for nearly a week despite Seto's (who made a surprisingly vicious seat thief) attempts and Kano's whining.

Her smile faded, she really wished they would come home, she could use more noise to fill up these dark rooms, without them it felt big and barren. She revolves around to the room and begins to tune in to the harsh little clips of rain bashing on the window. The sounds outside say she is going to be having a lonely evening.

Kano should be home, it didn't take a very bright person to know when it was a good time to get a job and eight-thirty at night wasn't one. He's avoiding her and it's probably because of her constant interrogations whenever he's around.

He evaded her then too, answers vague and nonspecific, he could be anywhere, doing anything and there wasn't much she could do about it. Except lock him in a room. She had only been kidding (sort of) but Seto had told her no anyway.

Another noise joined the rain, the steady ringing of a timer and she gives out a small moan, already too comfortable to get up and check on the stew she'd left on the stove. Before she can set her feet on the ground there's a loud slam of a door and a green figure races past her seat. She's too stunned to scream at the trespasser running into the kitchen, instead vanishing at the same moment she realizes it's only Seto.

"I got it!" He must have it for it goes quiet again, minus her pounding pulse and the constant beat of the storm. She's up and with a few brisk strides to the kitchen doorway she can view the dark haired boy sniffing at a spoon full of her concoction. Her pride balloons for only a second at the pleasant expression he makes, until she notices he's dripping wet.

Her floors!

He straightens and glances throughout the room, she has trouble remembering when that skinny little animal lover had shot past her in height, "Kido?"  
She basks momentarily in the perfect chance to get even and scare the life out of him. Her vengefulness loses its power, however, at the hint of concern in his eyes when he continues to get no answer.

"Kido?" She move out of the way as he travels back into the living room, calling louder while she tries to invent a way to suddenly reappear and not spook him. The squeak he lets out at a loud thunderclap and the hint of satisfaction she feels told her she might be a tiny bit vindictive still.

"I'm here Seto," she says in her calmest voice. A blink and she's visible again just as Seto whirls toward the sound.

He brightens and lays a hand over his chest, covering his heart. "Kido! There you are." his brow wrinkles, "Why were you hiding?"

She shakes her head, "Not important, let's get you dry." She catches a wrist and tows him towards the bathroom. She's hoping Kano hadn't neglected the load of towels she'd sent him downstairs to do this morning.

A basket of dirty towels that hadn't moved greets them and Kano is immediately grounded. She lets out a growl, "Kano."

Seto squirms. "He probably forgot about them." He wriggled himself loose from her tightening grip. "I can do them later."

She yanks a descent towel out and tosses it at his face. "That was his chore and I told him to do it this morning." A direct hit and after a moment Seto gives a smothered sigh, tugging it off.

A clipped 'take off your clothes' kills his next reply, causing him to redden and sputter instead. "What? I can't take my clothes off in front of you!"

She rolled her eyes, trying hard not to catch his contagious embarrassment. "Not all of it. Just take off the top part."

He looks less mortified at this prospect and obliged her. "Y'know Kano's trying-" the top of his hoodie slips over his mouth. "-to help."

She scowls at him while her hands find the cotton cloth, remove the golden clip from his bangs, and started rubbing his head. "He's not doing it right," she  
adds dryly. More squirming and he moves from under her touch to give her a pained look.

"Kido," the smile he gives doesn't reach his eyes all the way, she notices the bags under them. "I think I can take care of myself."

Her scowl became even deeper. "So can Kano." She began tugging on the sleeves of his jumpsuit until he went ahead and took them off himself. She wouldn't call this a new disagreement, if anything they always _disagreed_ about Kano. As far as she knows Kano hadn't told either of them where he went or even why and yet Seto still stood by him. She is right, but her body feels heavy and achey under Seto's torn gaze.

The towel is draped across his vision, he had been standing there blushing like a fool while holding up the pants portion of his suit, and a shocked yelp erupts from underneath it. "Finish drying off, I have to check on dinner." He must have shaken himself free for a sound behind her says he's going to respond. He can't when the door's shut in his face.

As she walks, she fishes out behind her head and tugs on her hoodie sharply. She is mad, or at least not in a good mood and the weather outside fittingly reflected her. She knows why he was defending Kano, he hated conflict especially between family. Every time that idiot did something infuriating Seto did what he could to defuse the oncoming battle before it turned into a bloody savage war that could end up lasting for weeks.

When she arrives the stew pot is barely bubbling, like she'd left it. His efforts went in vain now days, Kano was never home anymore for her to argue with.  
Not that they should be called fights, per say, so much as her yelling and Kano making sly remarks. Most of his real retaliation was carried out by abandoning his chores and coming home at deplorable times of night.

She may not have liked it but the nighttime strolls had been allowed to serve as a way of coping for the last few months. She regrets allowing it now. Every night he'd come back later and later till finally she grew too tired of waking up to berate him and he started using a window instead of the door. She knows something's up, whether or not she should even be worried was the question. If Kano would only be honest with them instead of spouting off 'oh is it really that late?' or 'you don't need to worry about me.'

Who was he trying to fool, she'll always worry. She mixes the spoon in the meat broth, cupping some of it and bringing it to her nose. She loved Seto but he's a little too kind (in more ways than this one) if he thought this smell was enjoyable.

The squeal of a pair of sneakers enters the kitchen and her head snaps away from the pot. "Take off your shoes I just mopped in here!" The squeaking halts and she hears him shuffling behind her to peel them off. Her tone could have been nicer but she's still in a mood.

"Kido," He's treating her name like you would handle a glass vase shattered on the floor; her hands dig into the utensil she's holding. "Get out the bowls," she orders. The same bowls that Kano had somehow magically conjured into existence one day. He had sworn he hadn't stolen them and she had _not_ believed him.

There hadn't been much Seto could do to calm her that day.

The boy came beside her, now wearing a worn grey sweatshirt and a pair of pants just too small for him. He was lucky he even had clothing to wear after having been so trusting at the first shelter. By the time he had found his suitcase again, it had been throughly raided, nothing having been ignored. It had taken one tough brawl against some hostile meathead to get his hoodie back. She didn't care, the idiot could have everything else but that was important.

She hadn't been surprised to wake up the next day and find she could barely walk but after word had gotten out about the scuffle, most of Seto's things had been hastily returned.

Seto was still watching her unhappily, trying to catch her eye, and she avoids his probing glances by staring at their food. Eventually, and with a resigning sigh, he goes and gets the bowls out like she'd asked.

Once dinner's poured and he's thanked her for the meal, she watches as his bare feet slowly pad out of view. She tells herself that she doesn't care that she doesn't blame him; they've had this "argument" so many times already she isn't surprised he's given in.

She hated this, the distance they've put between themselves since they've run. Kano can disappear better than she can, Seto worked too much, and all she did was sit at home like a bothersome wife who cleaned house, fretted, and scolded on occasion.

She's trying to be the responsible one but it only seemed to drive Kano out the door and Seto up a wall and that's the opposite of what they needed currently.  
It was hard, of course she doesn't want to be stressed or to argue all the time, she wants everyone to be safe, to keep them safe. A life without them was a thought that she tries not to ponder, but this was the same world that's taken those she's loved the most leaving her reeling for a sturdier hold with each new attack of grief.

They were all she had left to cling to.

The bowl Seto's set aside for her is small and it feels overly delicate beneath such rough hands. She wants to tell them she's sorry, so sorry about being this way, but she's afraid. She's trying to be supportive and helpful but she's scared of screwing up and loosing what remained.

"Kido?" Seto's calls out from behind her sounding uneasy, there were very few ways she can answer him and not make that worse. Ayano would have been so much better at this. This was not the hero she had sworn to become, this was the same weak and pathetic child she's always been.

Larger hands cover her shaking ones, guiding her bowl back to the counter till she's released it then pulling her backwards into his chest. Seto's fingers gently guide her hood down to slide across her flimsy hair soothingly; a forearm tightened across her torso.

"Kido." Such a gentle whisper of her name is causing her eyes to water dangerously. She doesn't want him to help her, he shouldn't have to, she was supposed to be able to take care of everyone like _she_ had.

A nose presses against the back of her neck and she's not sure how the action causes her to release a long, albeit shaky, breath. "What's wrong?" A noise exits her mouth, an attempt at scoffing maybe, but it's choked off, full of unshed tears. Where did she begin?

Her eyes turn to the ceiling, she can't trust herself to keep the water there from overflowing.

"I'm so sorry," Is all she can manage without spilling anything to the floor. His free arm stops stroking her head and joined the other at her waist. From the silence he must be mulling over what she could mean. He eventually replies, "This isn't about the towels, is it?"

Laughter retreated from her throat, but this time she's actually slightly amused; for a boy who could read a persons mind he could be rather dense. Seto held her closer, probably more concerned now.

"No, it isn't Seto." She relaxed into their cumbersome embrace and for a few selfish second she is happy about being worried over and comforted, she's needed it more than she'll admit. At the same time an inky guilt settled into her system that tells her she hasn't done anything to earn this.

She had been so ready for her poisonous thoughts to tumble out and away, but on the first words she balks. She can't burden him, that won't strengthen her and it won't change anything. Her fears were just who they were meant for, _her_. Not Seto.

"Tell me what's wrong," A low voice requests, cutting through her thoughts.

She swallowed violently. "Never mind, it doesn't matter anymore. I'm just-" No, that was not a good trail to start down. "We should eat, the foods getting cold and I'm sure you don't-" The figure behind her had become steadily stiffer as she's gone on till it finally stopped her with a harsh squeeze around her middle; cutting her off then quickly releasing her.

She twists to face him, jarring his already half-open arms with the motion, and gives him an uncertain raise of her eyebrows. Even if she can already guess that he's caught on to her deceit. He did a much better job of showing what he felt, his face contorted into disapproval. The hands on his hips are tight while his eyes slant in accusingly down at her. Such a rare reaction from Seto is almost enough to make her drop every negative word from her mouth. Almost.

"What?" She not-quite-snarls. There was no need for faking cluelessness, it was a waste of time.

"Tell me the truth Kido." His voice is strained with aggravation and she feels the pang of guilt in her chest increase twofold. He wants to help her, she wishes she could just let him, but dammit she's supposed to be stronger than this. She can't constantly throw her problems on others, she _has_ to handle them.

She jolts at the foreign warmth on her cheek, shoving the hand placed there away. Seto's arm withdrew slightly, his eyes full of frustration. She knew the sentiment, she's very well aquatinted with it, it was just surprising to see him experiencing it.

Seto's chin lowers to his chest and he gives out a lingering breath that almost causes her heart to collapses. That's the same thing he would do when they were young and if she made him cry there was no way she could recover from this day.

His head moves up again and (to her relief) there are no streaks on his face, no trembling lips, and no eyes shimmering with tears. "Kido," No anger in his tone.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." The only thing she might nave expected to hear at this point was pleading but instead it's acceptance. "I don't want you to close yourself up, I want to know what it is that's making you upset." Resignation.

She frowns and she can feel herself getting desperate for this conversations ending, "Seto, you have a full-time job. You have better things to do than deal with me being an emotional moron." She reigned in the urge to mockingly roll her eyes. "Hell, I've got better things to do."

His gaze gained an intensity that causes her to unintentionally straighten. "You're not a moron, Kido." Brown eyes stay steadily on hers. "I don't want you to think that there's some sort of strength in keeping everything to yourself," He says this unhurriedly but the suppressed passion there is almost screaming at her.

"I know you think it's better to hold it in but that's only going to hurt even more." His fingertips graze the top of her tightly shut hands. "I don't want you to ever be hurting, I want you to be happy." It could be his fingertips, she can't see much anything else but blurs right now.

They had for sure been his fingertips because now his hands have boldly covered her clenched fists. "Why would you try and hide how you feel from me?"

"Seto, I'm-" She hadn't meant to trail off but her voice had failed on it's own.

"You can say what you want, Kido." His palm strays across her cheek to wipe away the wetness there. "I'm here for you whenever you need me. Kano too if you want."

She stares at the black scuffs on her shoes as more tears begin to trickle and fall on the worse for wear sneakers. "Hey," his voice has gone especially soft and his fingers cup her jaw cautiously. "Hey, it's okay." She dares to look back up at the lanky boy again. "We want to take care of you to make sure you're okay. We love you Kido." The sincere adoration on his face causes her to hiccup out a sob and she brings him nearer; his arms open to draw her in.

There were not too many people that saw her like this, that she trusted to see her like this. It was only a habit, she was the family humiliation, she didn't expect anyone to care for her because of the mistake she was. After the fire, it hadn't been possible to harbor anything within.

It was with Ayaka's death that she had started to revert to the old way of bearing with emotions, with Ayano being the final straw.

Seto gave a small hush at her persisting sniffle, his palm sliding over her spine. It reminds her so much of a time where this was all reversed, except for it's in  
a house full of children and he was much, much smaller. Maybe it was a day when he had been made fun of for speaking to something furry or one where the weatherman had warned their area about a possible flood. He's not the same crybaby who's hand she had to hold anymore; he's tall enough now to rest his forehead on her temple.

After a few good minutes of murmured reassurances and some very ugly sobbing, she steps away, arms still holding onto his sides as he slowly unwound her from his own arms.

A hoodie sleeve takes care of the dampness underneath her eyes as her sheepishness started to set in. "Sorry."

His eyes seem shinier than before, she notices, "Don't be sorry."

Her lips manage to form a smile, "Then, thank you." The corners of his mouth tilt upward as he brushes the bangs from her eyes, his expression then suddenly closing off. Which was a strange thing, Seto was about as enigmatic as a piece of clean glass.

Careful lips touch the spot above her eye. "You're welcome," he murmurs against her skin. He then straightens and, once her head has absorbed what's just occurred, she immediately goes scarlet.

She steps away, untangling the rest of herself from his hold. "We," she tries to remember the ending to this sentence while willing the redness on her cheeks to vanish. "Should eat." She eventually managed and Seto nods, his gaze lingered in place long enough for her have to clear her throat and snap him out of wherever he'd been.

"Kido?" She peeks over at him as he now fidgets in the kitchen doorframe. "I am always here." He slipped her a final, shy, grin and left to find his food while she went back to gathering her own.

Letting him go had felt premature, the reassuring sensation of another body hadn't been something she was ready to surrender yet. From the way his arms hesitated before returning to his sides the feeling had been shared; she hadn't been the only one in need of solace tonight.

When she enters the living room again she finds Seto sitting in their sole armchair, his smile from before reshaped into something more cheerful. She only shook her head, there went her streak, as she sat down in front of him, folding her legs beneath herself.

She's sucking at the lip of her spoon when a sharp taste nearly has her spewing it back into its bowl. A glance at Seto revealed the face of someone who wished to do the same, both of them scarcely forcing the dish down.

"That was-"

"Cold." she finishes and Seto shook his head in assent, thinly veiled displeasure on his face.

She's already stepping back into the kitchen when Seto cries out: "It does taste good!" She just shakes her head, peeved at the stew and at herself for forgetting about their meal, and delivered both bowlfuls back to the rest of the batch. The ache in her muscles is still fairly constant but the throbbing in her ribcage is erratic, dulled.

She turns the burner back on high, for now she won't worry.

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**Hey, hopefully you enjoyed, might've gone off the rails on a crazy feels train, y'know? Heh, whoops. Now you've got two more chapter to go! I don't think they'll be as bad, we'll see.**

**Comments, Critiques, Compliments (^##^), let me have it.**

Edit: Came back and cleaned up a little. I almost completely preserved the original story except for like one sentence. Hopefully I  
didn't make it worse than before. ^^;


	2. Someone to Care

**It late, it's a school night, I'm sure there are problems in here, and I-I don't have a song this time but I just really wanna post this and get it away from myself before I tear it apart.**

**Holy guacamole! Fifteen follows and seven favorites, and that was just chapter one! Geez, you guys rock.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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The first floor laundromat is a gloomy, dank place. Gloomy because there were only two windows, minuscule ones at that, and dank because the third washing machine on the left wall leaked every other time it was used. Usually he was the one who made it leak with out fail, but it seemed like this evening someone's beaten him to it.

Seto would always clean it up afterwords. It wasn't safe, someone could slip and hurt themselves on these cracked floors. Also stagnant water tended to smell awful after a while.

Kido had told him once it was a waste of energy, that was someone else's job, but he took care of it anyway, he really didn't mind. The towels he'd brought down were already dirty, water off the ground wasn't going to make them much worse.

He wrinkles his nose at the stench emanating off the towel he picks off of the floor. The smell of wet dog and something sour wasn't fantastic, Kido could have a fair point. _What goes around…_ He pours some detergent over the load and shuts the lid. _…comes around I guess._

After contemplating whether fabric softener was needed or not (_T__owels don't really need to be softened)_ he starts the cycle with the quarters he can gather from his pockets. The hum and click of clothes spinning and machines running fills up the quiet space along with the splatter of raindrops.

A peek in the dryer shows that his jumpsuit and white hoodie haven't finished yet. Maybe he should have just let them air out, but he'd already been heading downstairs to do the load Kano had neglected he'd thought he might as well dry his things too. Mostly because he liked these clothes better and the pants  
he had on now were much tighter than the last time he'd worn them.

The clap of feet on stairs resounds through the room, interrupting his wide yawn and the laundromat's monotone melody. He hears a soft curse as he closes his drier door and turns away from the appliance to see a neighbor squinting peevishly at the small puddle beneath what he assumed was her washer.

She glances over at him and after identifying him her expression flipped into a engaging smile. "Seto! Hi!" He returned her jubilant grin, a little less thrilled. Wasn't she the one Kano had teased about flirting with him a couple of times?

"Hello, Ms. Hina." she laughs rather loudly, or it could have been the echo off the walls of the dark room.

"Aw, Seto. I thought we'd talked about this," she trots over to him, previous frustration forgotten. "You can just call me Hina. Friends need not be so ritualistic between each other, right?" He's fairly sure that isn't how you use the word ritualistic and he's been out of school for a few weeks. That and most of the people he considered a friend he's know longer than three weeks.

_At least she was trusting?_

"Sorry, Hina," he began to fuss with the hair on the back of his head. "I'll try and get it right."

She titters happily, "Don't worry, I'm not really mad. You'd have to be pretty stupid to get angry at someone like you, Seto."

He laughs lightly as well and he can practically hear Kano's mocking guffaws, "Really? I'm sure my sister would disagree."

She gives an immense roll of her eyes. "Ugh, I'm so glad I don't have siblings to mess with anymore. My older sister's in college so I'm finally— well," her eyes roll back to his. "You know how it is."

He really didn't, not in the sense that he didn't _have_ true siblings but more about the supposed strife you had to have between family members. Sure it happened, Kido and Kano tended to get along like cats and dogs, but it never got to the point where they despised each other. Well, maybe for a minute or two but he knew it was because only because they really did care about one another.

That was what made them unique. It had been on instinct, for security that they had banded together because they had all been the same, not just their eyes. They knew what the lonely side of life was like. They'd struggled with desertion and belonging too long to snip away the only ties that had ever successfully held. They were as much each other as they were themselves, fighting wouldn't- couldn't skew that.

Hina's green eyes are sharply trained on him, and he realizes he's not helping this supposed crush by gawking at the girl. "Ah yeah, siblings can be kind of rough. Were you having a problem with your machine?"

Her face puckered into a hint of a pout at being reminded. "Oh yeah," she peered over her shoulder briefly then whirls back to him.

"It was only leaking again, don't sweat it. So," she drags the 'o' out as she settled her arms along the drier, placing her chin on top of her clasped hands and smiling sort of secretively. That can't be a very good sign.

"When do I get to find out more about the mysterious boy that just moved in?" Yikes, this was not what he had expected to encounter when he had volunteered to make a laundry run.

He couldn't tell her about the Tateyamas or the orphanage, she could look into it or find the missing adds, which just being familiar with this girl was a thin line to walk as it was.

He can't make up a story, he isn't any good at lying, mostly because he never practiced it (Kano had made it sort of a bitter taste in his mouth). He rocked discreetly on his heels, as discreet as it was to rock on your heels, what did he say, what did he say?

"I'm not too interesting," he chuckles. To his ears he sounds nervous, to hers it hopefully comes across playfully.

She arched an eyebrow, not good enough, "C'mon, don't be like that. Everybody has secrets. Hobbies? Talents?"

_What if I told you one of my "talents" is being able to know exactly what you're thinking._ He smiles broadly to keep from chewing his lip in agitation. "Not really, I'm not as mysterious as I seem." He digs for a lifeline at the disbelieving expression forming on her face. "Hey, isn't that leak going to ruin your things?"

She shrugs, "I can just run the load again, no biggie." He nods, inwardly moaning. She's a nice girl, really pretty. The only reason she probably hasn't given up on pursuing him was she's probably used to her pick of whatever man she wanted.

He knows that if he ever had a relationship it would be with someone he's able to share his whole life with, no secrets. The Stealing Eyes hadn't ever left him with very many options as far as romance went, not that girls were usually interested in a lanky and occasionally red-eyed boy who smelled of dirt and various animals anyway.

Of course there was always the chance he was reading too much into this and Hina was just making conversation. Kano could be wrong, he _had_ only met the girl once.

"So does the uninteresting guy have an uninteresting girlfriend in his life?"

Or he could be totally on the mark.

"Wh-why would you ask that?" he knows 'why' isn't that hard of a word to pronounce but his mind is in a scramble for any sort of word.

He shouldn't even be acting surprised at all and Hina's minor glare said so. "I didn't make it perfectly obvious?" He would prefer to not answer that.

She just shakes her head at what he was sure was a very befuddled gape, an amused smirk curling her lips. "Boys can be really clueless, don't even try and deny it." she lifts off of the drier and gradually walks nearer, "I'll be frank then." her arm stretches towards him till her index finger can prod a spot on his chest. "I'd like to date you. Simple enough, right?"

A warmth threatened to crawl upon his cheeks as she punctuated her sentence with her finger. It was really flattering but he still hadn't changed his mind, she deserves someone much more normal.

That was much more difficult to say in practice than it was to just think, especially when said girl was watching with total confidence in her proposition.

He doesn't know how he can let her down nicely (Gosh, he'd never imagined thinking that). Crushing a young woman's self-esteem and starting a forever feud with the neighbors down the hall wasn't what he wanted but he can't date someone right now, even if he wanted to.

Her eyes fleetingly pause on his lips and promptly his face isn't just threatening warmth anymore, it radiated heat. Did this count as a date? This couldn't be a date, she had only just asked him a minute ago. Then why would she be looking at his lips, isn't that what you did when you kissed someone? Someone you like? A date was something you do with someone you like and it can lead to a kiss but no, no, he can't kiss her.

"Seto?" Hina questions, he can sense a shred of hurt in her tone.

He doesn't know how.

"Seto," a stiff voice called.

It wasn't very loudly raised but in this situation it was like a thunderclap only a foot away. _Kido._ He whirls toward the door confirming that the identity of the speaker was indeed the formidable green-haired girl. Who was looking even more intimidating than usual as her gaze traveled between him, Hina, and the abnormally short distance between them.

"Kido!" he tries to lower his voice but his relief at seeing her is hard to keep restrained. He can see Hina's chest deflate with a noisy sigh and Kido's cold stare sharply shifted towards her.

"What are you doing down here?" He's trying to refocus the attention, from what he could tell was a rapidly angering Kido, back on him. He hoped beyond hope Hina would stay quiet and not try to make up a tale. If there was anything that could make this worse it would be lying.

Grey eyes gradually point back to him, "You said you wouldn't take long and you did, I came to check on you." he thinks there's some levity in her tone which isn't a bad sign; he'll take humiliation over Kido's rage any day. "I thought you'd gotten distracted," she continues with the tiniest raise of an eyebrow. "I guess I wasn't completely wrong."

The girl next to him shuffles in place. "No, she's definitely not wrong," she whispers, and he wouldn't have just agreed silently if he wasn't so afraid of Kido running up and cutting off his tongue for speaking out of turn.

Hina's head bravely pops up and she turns to face him, "I should probably take care of the laundry before my mom comes looking for me." she strolls smoothly over to her puddle-happy washer without waiting for an answer, tapping on several buttons and paying for the next load.

She regarded the girl still standing in the doorway still looking unamused and sends him a regretful look. "I'll see you later Seto, I'll be waiting for an answer  
so you know where to find me." The one emotion Kido had shown since materializing he hadn't expected to be confusion. Yet as the smaller girl pounded up the stairs behind her there was befuddlement in the wrinkle of her forehead.

When she circles back to him though the perplexity is gone with nothing left but Kido's normal stone-hard visage, an extra level of frigidness resting in those slate eyes. That earlier levity must have been imagined or for the younger girls sake. He swallowed the gob of saliva in his mouth. He's anxious, like he had been caught doing something illegal and he was waiting for his sentence. The best punishment would be chores but a lecture was always a good possibility too, he might be in enough hot water to have landed both this time.

"Have you already forgotten what we decided about the people here, Seto?" Lecture it was then, and no he hadn't forgotten. Since the beginning, Kido had made it explicit that they weren't to get 'chummy,' as their Leader herself had put it, with anyone. Within the complex, at work, or otherwise. It wouldn't be safe, they couldn't afford to trust anyone outside of the gang.

He moves to the washer again as it chimed, signaling the end of its task. "I know. It- this looks worse than it actually is." He hadn't even wanted it to seem like that was what they were doing. He had felt pinned and he wasn't ever his best under high pressure conditions.

Her eyes narrow, "Then what was it supposed to look like?" He watches as her figure began to rigidify and his feet take him a half-step back despite his incensed sibling being all the way across the room.

"I wouldn't do anything if I thought it would be a danger to us. You know that." He isn't enjoying defending himself at all but her borderline glare threw a mass of soundless accusations at him.

She shakes her head roughly and plodded down the three steps, dodging a recently made puddle and arriving in front of his washer. "You can't know for certain if she'll be a threat or not." Her angry tone has morphed into a more restrained chilliness but that isn't what concerns him.

"Don't you trust me?" he murmurs. Kido is taken aback and regards him with open surprise. The realization is both exasperating and distressing and he isn't sure what emotion he should exercise first. She stays quiet for several seconds too long and instead of hot anger like he expected, (maybe even wanted in exchange for this other feeling) something inside of him sinks.

She hadn't let him off with dish duty for a week or a light thwack to the back of the head with a 'be more careful.' No, she was unforgivingly harsh and it was upsetting for this mistrust to be coming from someone so dear to him.

"I do trust you," she declares. Even if she'd spoken it softly she still surveyed the doorway from over her shoulder. He lifts up the scratched metal lid and grabs the moist clumps of clothing clinging to the washer walls.

"Then why don't you believe me?" he questions, not bothering to lower his tone or conceal his unhappiness.

She gave an exasperated sigh. "Because I know you, Seto!" she exclaims, almost breaking her whisper. He pulls out one last renegade sock and added it to the soggy bundle heedlessly pulled against his chest.

Kido slams the lid down before he can try, "The second your heart gets involved you forget to use your head."

He stills in the half turn he had made towards the drier, "What?" he wheels to face her, asking for confirmation on something he swore he must have misheard. Narrowed eyes and a tight jaw are the only validation he receives.

He stalks over to the drier once more and roughly pried it open, stuffing the wet things in without much care for the dry ones inside. When he can't get the change out of his pockets quickly enough he spins back to face her. His hand sending coins noisily across the floor, stopping his oncoming retort.

He wants to yell maybe even throw something, (not at Kido of course) because how could she? Why would she even suggest he would do such a thing? He would never endanger them, he always did what he could to protect them.

His lips press together hard enough that they begin to tingle, trapping the words brimming with the bitterness and distress he wants to relinquish. He's remembering how differently she had been acting only hours ago, recalls the destructive thoughts that had been flowing through her head. How the bristling, proud girl before him had only just been in his embrace weeping in agony.

It's been years since his power had triggered without permission like that. He hadn't told her how he had known of her unease for risk of the repercussions it could cause. She's always been such a solitary person, pushing her own needs aside to be able to safeguard them from anything that could harm them.

He had hated it when Ayano did it, with Kido his feelings haven't changed.

It had gotten worse since they had left home; this supposed overreaction should have made sense from the beginning. She was insecure and fearful to the point where she thought she couldn't allow herself to believe him. She'd been troubled even before the Hina problem had arisen and now he's scared her.

He lessens the weight on his lips, the urge to shout has been replaced with the desire to console her instead but that would probably earn him a punch to the nose. As of right now the stoic girl was sourly cleaning his change off the floor, most likely assuming he's relented in their conflict. He clears his throat and, as expected, her eyes find his again.

"Kido," Towering over someone while talking to them felt clumsy. He crouches then starts reaching for the nearest coins.

"Do you wanna know who my heart is tied to?" he murmurs.

She doesn't answer but he can see her intent gaze has moved away from the scattered currency.

"My family," he smiles softly at the blackened quarter in his palm.

"That's you and Kano," he looks back up at her to find her stare has sunk to the floor. "Hina's a nice girl but I doubt that she'll ever be as important to me as you are. I would never let someone into my life if I thought they would take me from you two. It isn't ever going to happen."

"You are the ones I would give anything for, not someone I just met." he grins at her even if she won't face him. "Marry too! Even if she's not quite ready to meet you yet." he had almost forgotten his bashful friend. He knew the quiet girl would've been saddened if she were left off such a list.

Kido let out a snort, the gentle expression on her face an odd contradiction to the sound, and stands. "Alright, I think I can believe that," her humorous expression faltered to a more penitent face. "And I'm sorry. I was wrong and I shouldn't have questioned you."

He stands as a warm creeping sensation curled in his chest. "I know," he laughs delicately, "but you wouldn't be Kido if you weren't taking care of me." She smiles up at him softly and after a moment her mien suddenly takes on a more mischievous appearance (as mischievous as Kido could look) and he's once again baffled by the vanishing one.

"You're still going to tell me how you were almost kissed by someone you've only known three weeks," she teases.

The coins fall out of his hand much faster this time.

* * *

When the load was dry, his coins were picked up, and everything was folded, they went back upstairs together. During all of this he told her the full story about their young neighbor and her strange fondness for him. Kido may not be the best conversationalist but she was a fine listener, nodding and working as he talked.

He didn't leave out anything (except maybe not being very detailed about the not quite kissing part) even going as far as saying that Kano had predicted it. That had only merited him a glare hot enough to melt rock, she was still mad at him. She had then shaken her head and chalked it up to a lucky guess, saying that he had had every right to doubt what came out of that mouth.

"He doesn't lie all the time, Kido." he heaves the laundry basket higher up his torso to keep from knocking his knees against the bottom of it.

She pauses in the middle of the stairwell and partially turned back him. "He does most of it."

She continues upward and he traipses after her. Those twos most recent falling-out had been uglier than normal and it worries him. Since they'd moved in Kano had taken up sneaking out at night for what he said were strolls. His friend has always been rather savvy so it hadn't bothered him in the beginning but when the strolls had turned into apparent all-nighters he became concerned.

He blew a sigh out of his nose, he wants to trust Kano, and he does, but there were too many unknowns there. He's had to put a lot more stock in Kano's street-smarts than he's comfortable with. Even if he knows Kano wouldn't intentionally put himself in danger, what about the dangers he couldn't account for?

Of course he didn't listen to their reasoning, the short deceiver would only wave him off and laugh in the face of Kido's wrath (which would make him question a persons mental sanity if he wasn't Kano).

Immediately his path up the stairs stalls and Seto find that he is no longer going upstairs but is in front of their apartment.

"Hey, cut it out," Kido growls and he quickly notices the reason for her tone was that he's running the laundry basket into her back.

He apologizes while she finishes unlocking the door and she gives him no answer. Bringing Kano up had been a mistake. He remembers their third member being a very prominent thought for her when his Eyes had set off, one that left her apprehensive.

With a sort of frown at the freshly cleaned washings he was mindful of the fact that Kido had never given him that information willingly. It makes him feel guilty to have "looked" into her mind without permission but there wasn't much he could do about it now.

The basket is finally emptied when the towels are back in the bathroom cabinets and when they hang what they can in the closet. The rest was laid neatly back in their suitcases or out of the way on the floor if they wanted to be mindful of wrinkles (Kido was still on the hunt for a dresser or something for them).

"Were starting to get too big for these." Kido tsked as she inspected one of Kano's t-shirts. He shrugged his oversized night shirt past his ears, trying not to pinken under her watchful eyes and doing so anyway when she faintly smiled at his tribulation.

"Yeah, I guess we are," he says. "Though," he leans in her direction and began whispering as if sharing a secret. "It's hard to believe Kano could outgrow anything."

He laughs as she chuckles quietly along with him before cocking an eyebrow. "You? making fun of Kano? You must be tired."

He gives one more chortle at the expense of the shady boy, "It _is_ almost eleven."

She giggles, a sweet, gentle sound that he's sad to say was unlike her, "Go to bed, I'll be there in a minute." he's quite happy to acquiesce to her command, clambering onto the mishmash of pillows and giant blanket as she went to the washroom, shutting the lights off as she went.

He lays his head down on a squished cushion that smells decidedly like sweat and car exhaust, he must have found Kano's pillow again. The least he could do was shower before he came in and crashed in their bed. Largely because of hygiene but as thing were now they were most likely going to be sharing it for a while. He'll need to start working a lot more hours before he can even start thinking about buying another mattress. He couldn't come in much earlier than he already did, he's started beating Mr. Murano there. It's wasn't too startling that his own employer had told him to sleep in a little longer.

He yanks the sole fleece blanket over himself, registering the sound of water and the low scratching of a tooth brush. He needs to think about what he's going to have to say to Hina tomorrow. He can't imagine either of them will be enjoying that chat.

Why did she have to go and choose him? Why not Kano? They had met her once. For some reason he can imagine him handling this little infatuation far better than he could. Than he was. He always thought his first relationship with anyone would be with a person he deeply loved and who loved him back, not this.

Compared to his much more suave and charming brother, why would she choose him? At their old school even though Kano wasn't incredibly popular, (and as  
a shocking side note neither was he) there was usually a girl or two that occasionally acted interested.

As far as school romances went for him, he had held hands with a girl in the hallway once. Until she realized he was the wrong guy and let him go.

He's sure if Hina knew half of the thing there were to know about him that attraction would've disappeared. The more and more he thought about it, the more and more absurd it seemed for a girl to even be into him. If it wasn't his past or his eyes that scared her away, he himself would've been the let down. She seemed to see him as some mysterious, cool guy but he was the opposite of that. When you got to know him he was this skinny, boring fraidy cat who was as fascinating as a wall.

There was a reason he hadn't had too many friends back in school. The students in the halls didn't have the kindest thoughts about him as they would pass.  
A random lab partner, on the days he couldn't get to Kano quick enough, thinking he was a wuss for crying over the animal dissection.

It made it worse by being given no choice but to listen to them everyday.

The bed vibrates as Kido crawls in beside to him. "Hey, no blanket hogging tonight, it's too cold," she chastises as she lays to face him.

"Sorry," he sighs, seizing a piece of the covers and cloaking her in it.

"What's with that face?" He blinks at Kido in a half-daze, stunned at how she can make out his features with only a sliver of light coming from in between the blinds.

"It's-" he wants to continue with 'nothing' but his heart is too heavy to try and put up a front. At least one that would properly convince Kido.

He shifts awkwardly, "Can I ask you a question? You have to be honest."

Her gaze intensifies, he goes on because he has her attention and before his nerve leaves him. "Do you think I'm-" this nerve of his isn't lasting as long as he thought.

"Seto." Kido says under her breath. In a way that told him he should finish. Now.

"Attractive," he gushes, then, as calmly as he can manage with the heat on his face climbing, finishes his inquiry. "Do you think I'm attractive?"

After a second of his words hanging in the open he wants them back, largely in part of the astounded look Kido is giving him. "Never mind." he flips over so  
that his back faces her. "You don't have to answer that. I'm sorry."

He was sorry. _Very,_ very sorry. She probably thought he was an idiot, he thought he was an idiot, who forced someone to answer such a question? He probably sounded like the most conceited fool in the world. That or the most dejected one, he's not sure which was the lesser of two evils.

He feels Kido stirring behind him, "Is this about that girl? What did she say to you?"

He had so been hoping that when he flipped over that their conversation would be done. He should have anticipated Kido not letting him off the hook that easily. "No, this isn't about anything she said," he murmurs to the wall. "I was just wondering why she would be interested in someone like me."

More stirring, "Why would you think something like that?" Her tone sounds more curious than affronted now.

He can't manage a more descent reply than a shrug and he's amazed when Kido doesn't push him any farther.

When the Tateyamas hoodie had succeeded in canceling out the Stealing Eyes, he had gone to school for the first time freed from his unaware classmates tormenting. Except now he knows he had never been freed, that their thoughts still troubled him after all this time. He never even knew he believed them either.

"I've always liked your hair."

Kido utters these word so faintly it takes him a minute to decipher them, but when he does he almost tears the blanket off the bed he turns back so ineptly.

"You like my what?" he gawks at the squirming girl, who's grey eyes tinge the slightest hue of red as she clearly debated disappearing.

"Your hair," she grumbles eventually, the redness receding. "Everyone else tries to be flashy and stand out. You don't. It's simple and modest and I think it's nice."

He reaches up to find a strand of his simple hair, "You really think that?" she quietly hummed her assent, keeping her eyes off of him and on the pillow her elbows rest on.

"You have a nice face too." she stutters over the 'nice' part a bit. "A good nose?" Obviously she hadn't meant for that to be phrased as a question and she went soundless. Long enough for him to think the embarrassment was too much for her.

He practically jumps when her fingers stroke along the fabric above his collar bone. "Strong shoulders for a strong heart, a strong soul. You've always put all of yourself into whatever you're doing and I appreciate that, Seto. A lot of people appreciate that." Her gaze becomes more of a glare, and he doesn't know what he did but he instantly regrets it. "I don't know what she said to make you think these things but they're not true."

He stops wincing as severely, "Kido-"

"Let me finish." she cuts in, then belatedly clears her throat. "If you're happy with yourself then no one else's opinion matters." he should really stop her for both their sakes. "You're fine how you are. You've always been compassionate and sweet to everyone you've met." But these were words he hadn't know he'd been waiting to hear.

"If someone doesn't like those qualities then they have a problem, not you. And, if this helps," he can tell but the way she hesitates she's having a rough time getting this part off her tongue. "I think you're pretty handsome."

It was mean of him to smile since Kido was so plainly strained, but his lips can't seem to help betraying him. He finds himself trying to contain a full on, cheek-hurting grin when the disgruntled Kido began to look even more disgruntled at a few stray chuckles.

"Don't laugh," she says with no force, her gaze flashing up and down timidly between him and her ebony cushion. She's holding up really well for such a mortifying experience, he can't imagine she'll want to repeat this anytime soon.

He stifles his chortling and his nerve rushing back with a vengeance lugs Kido into a tight squeeze. "Thank you,"

Warm tears crawl out of his closed eyelids. Slender arms wrap him closer as he whispers into her hair, "You always know what I need."

He feels her heated exhale of relief on his neck, "Don't even get me started on your eyes."

* * *

**Okie dokie, Hopefully this wasn't too all over the place for ya ****I'm sorry if this last part is too much. When I got to the cut I realized I had all these ideas, more Seto time planned, but a perfect place to end this sucker. Seto is my weakness so I went on!**

**I feel as if I might have taken a little too much liberty with his ****character but I believe some of it can make sense, like being very defensive about his loyalty being questioned or an having very little confidence in his looks. Seto isn't a vain person but we've all had our days.**

**All of the reviews I've gotten have been of people getting very excited over all dis Seto/Kido or just plain Seto. So here ya go! For all of those who are about to unfollow me cause, where da ot3 at? I promise you Kano's coming, he just wasn't ready yet. I didn't see anyway I could get him into this chap and it not be made really clunky. So instead of trying to shoehorn him in let's say I saved the best for last.**

**Hope to see you soon!**

*fixed some wonky formatting and general cleaning up. What? No, that sentence was totally there before. ^/^


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